Are you selling your home soon? Then there are 10 mandatory attestations you need to present to the buyer. Get them in order yourself or have your notary or real estate agent do it for you. Discover the 10 most important certificates for the sale of your house or apartment.
1. Asbestos certificate
The asbestos certificate is mandatory if your home was built before 2001. You are also required to provide the asbestos certificate to the tenant when renting out a home. When selling your home, the notary decides at what point you transfer the certificate. Usually this is during the compromise (the transfer agreement). How to apply for an asbestos certificate and how much it costs can be found in our article: The mandatory asbestos certificate.
2. Soil mat test
The soil certificate is required when selling every land, house and apartment. The soil certificate shows whether the soil on which your home is built is not contaminated. The Public Waste Agency of Flanders (OVAM) issues soil certificates. As a seller, you are responsible to present a valid soil certificate. You can request this from OVAM or from your notary. At OVAM you can request the soil certificate online or by mail. Read how to do this in the article from OAM Flanders: How do I apply for a soil attestation?
3. Fuel oil tank certificates and reports.
Your heating oil tank must have it approved by a licensed technician or environmental expert. The latest certificates and reports of your heating oil tank are required to be presented to the buyer through the notary. Of course, this is only required if you heat your house or apartment with fuel oil. Heating oil is also called gas oil, heating oil or heating oil. It is not obligatory to request a new re-inspection certificate before the sale of the house. . Ben je de laatste attesten en rapporten kwijt? Vraag in dat geval wél een nieuw herkeuringsattest aan!
Note: Is your above-ground fuel oil tank, smaller than 5,000 kg or 6,000 liters? Then periodic inspection and thus re-inspection is not mandatory. Here, inspection is only required when the tank is installed. During the reinspection, a certified technician or certified environmental expert reviews the fuel oil tank: Does the tank still meet the obligations of maintenance and quality? Is there no risk of contamination outside the tank?
After the inspection, you receive a certificate that you deliver to the buyer through the notary. The authorized inspector will give your installation a green, orange or red cap or brand plate. These colors reflect whether your tank meets the legal requirements:
- Green cap or branded plate: your fuel oil tank meets the legal requirements.
- Orange cap or brand plate: your fuel oil tank does not comply with legal requirements, but the defects do not cause contamination outside the tank. Find out what action to take if you get an orange cap.
- Red cap or brand plate: your fuel oil tank does not meet legal requirements. Read here what measures you should take if you get a red cap.
The fuel oil tank certificate and cap read:
- the date of verification.
- The name and accreditation number of the approved inspector.
- The date of the next control.
Discover here:
- What is the procedure for checking your fuel oil tank?
- The list of approved technicians for inspection of your fuel oil tank.
- The list of approved environmental experts for inspection of your heating oil tank.
4. Energy performance certificate (EPC).
Submit the signed EPC, is mandatory when selling any house or apartment. This also applies to rentals and even sales without publicity. The energy performance certificate indicates how energy efficient your home is. For new construction houses in Flanders with a building application submitted since 2006, it is mandatory to state the E-level.
The EPC score includes an energy label from an F to an A+. The EPC also includes tips and recommendations on how to improve the label. These tips are useful if your property gets a poor energy label (label E or F), because it is mandatory to have a purchased home labeled E or F renovated within 5 years of purchase. Your home must then achieve at least EPC score D. Discover here:
4.1. EPC kwijt?
If you have lost the EPC, consult the Housing Pass for your house or apartment. If your home has an EPC, but you cannot find it in the Housing Pass, contact the Flemish Energy and Climate Agency (VEKA) via the contact form. Upload proof that you are the owner of the house or apartment (with e.g. copy of notarial deed, copy of certificate of real estate tax). In either case, you will receive a copy of your EPC, which is not signed by the Energy Expert. Contact the Energy Expert who prepared the EPC and ask for a signed copy.
5. Heritage value information.
You are required to notify the buyer if the property is listed in the inventory of real estate heritage or if the building is protected.
6. Cadastral extract
Provide the buyer or notary with the cadastral extract. In it you will find all the information about the plot number, the year of construction of the building, the exact area, location and boundaries of the plot and the cadastral income.
Request the cadastral extract via the MyMinfin website. Klik bij ‘Mijn woning en mijn onroerende goederen’ op ‘Een kadastraal uittreksel aanvragen’. Doorloop de stappen.
Note: Requesting the cadastral extract, is not always free. Check prices on the FPS Finance website.
7. Electrical installation inspection certificate.
You are required to present an inspection certificate of the electrical system to the buyer. When selling the property, the attestation may be either positive or negative. If the certificate is negative, the buyer must have the electrical system re-inspected within 18 months and present a positive certificate.
Every time the electrical system is commissioned, modified, expanded or upgraded, it must be inspected. A recognized organization such as Vinçotte Performs the electrical inspection and provides you with the report.
8. Post intervention record (PID).
It is mandatory to submit a post-intervention file when selling your house or apartment. In this file you will find all the information about the building materials used and the technical data about the structures of the building. A designated safety coordinator prepares the PID and completes it during the works. Read here the article Who is the safety coordinator in construction works? The PID is mandatory:
- If the construction of your house or apartment started after May 1, 2001.
- If one or more contractors performed work after May 1, 2001.
The PID includes:
- Plans and drawings of the structure of the house or apartment.
- Plans and drawings of technical installations (HVAC, electrical, plumbing, etc.).
- designations of pipes for gas, water, electricity, ventilation, etc.
- indications of hidden dangers.
- A specification book listing all materials and products used.
- names and contact information for: the architect, safety coordinator and general contractors.
- instructions for further maintenance, repair, remodeling and dismantling of the premises and associated technical facilities.
- optional: purchase invoices and warranty receipts.
9. Urban planning excerpt
You are required to present the urban planning extract. This cannot be older than 1 year at the time of the sale. The urban development certificate contains all information about your home and the land on which it stands, from permits to possible building violations. The extract must be given to the buyer and may not be more than one year old at the time of the sale. Request the urban development certificate from the town hall yourself or via your notary in good time.
10. Flood susceptibility
Are you selling a property that is in a flood-prone area? Then you are also required to report this to the buyer. You can easily find all the info yourself at waterinfo.be where you look up and download documents about a certain plot of land. You also always mention this information on real estate websites or other search engines. 
Sources: All-in Tank Service, Dewaele, Notary, Flanders, Vastgoedadvies De Rick
Would you like to cite this article as a source? Then use:
Luyckx, S. (2024, Nov. 21). 10 mandatory certificates for selling your house or apartment. Apartment.be. Consulted on (date XX/XX/202X), from https://www.appartement.be/10-attesten-voor-de-verkoop-van-je-woning/
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